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Psychosocial Well-Being and Stress Related to Environmental Disaster and Climate Change

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2592

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Adriano Zamperini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Interests: environmental violence; chronical contamination exposure; health and wellbeing
Dr. Marialuisa Menegatto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Interests: environmental psychology; psychosocial stress; climate change adaptation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental disasters and climate change pose one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century, with significant implications for the psychosocial well-being of affected populations. This special issue explores the impact of psychosocial stress resulting from extreme events such as hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and heatwaves, as well as the long-term consequences of environmental pollution and instability.

We welcome original contributions, empirical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that examine psychological and social responses to these crises, coping strategies, the role of individual and community resilience, and the responses of healthcare institutions. Interdisciplinary approaches integrating psychological, social, environmental, and epidemiological perspectives are particularly encouraged.

We invite scholars and researchers to contribute their studies to enhance our understanding of these phenomena and support the development of mitigation and intervention strategies.

Prof. Adriano Zamperini
Dr. Marialuisa Menegatto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental disaster
  • climate change
  • psychosocial stress
  • health and well-being
  • community resilience
  • individual resilience
  • hazard
  • traumatic event
  • crisis
  • disaster recovery

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 388 KB  
Article
Association Between Climate Change Awareness and Depression & Anxiety: Findings from a U.S. Sample
by Stanley Nkemjika, Colvette Brown, Henry Onyeaka, Srikanta Banerjee and Jennifer A. Oliphant
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(9), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091426 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 58
Abstract
Background: Exploring the connection between climate change awareness and overall well-being is crucial, particularly in how it impacts both the environment and mental health. The mental health consequences of climate change and its awareness have not been thoroughly examined, especially in the U.S. [...] Read more.
Background: Exploring the connection between climate change awareness and overall well-being is crucial, particularly in how it impacts both the environment and mental health. The mental health consequences of climate change and its awareness have not been thoroughly examined, especially in the U.S. In this study, the relationship between awareness of climate change and depression or anxiety among U.S. adults was explored. Similarly, the role of climate change awareness has not been explored in relation to mental health concerns. Methods: Based on the HINTS-6 dataset, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey conducted by the National Cancer Institute, a variety of statistical methods, including logistic regression models, to examine these relationships were used. This study had a sample size of 6154 participants. A statistically significant level of <0.05 was used. Result: The findings showed that individuals who are aware of climate change have a higher adjusted odds ratio of 1.392 (1.160–1.671) for experiencing depression or anxiety compared to those who are unaware. Additionally, non-heterosexual individuals displayed a significantly higher adjusted odds ratio of 2.691 (CI: 2.125–3.407) for depression or anxiety, underscoring the strong connection between mental health and climate change awareness. Conclusion: This study highlights a notable link between heightened awareness of climate change with depression and anxiety among the U.S. population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Well-Being and Stress Related to Environmental Disaster and Climate Change)
25 pages, 677 KB  
Article
The Impact of Different Types of Social Resources on Coping Self-Efficacy and Distress During Australia’s Black Summer Bushfires
by Greta Amorsen, Jacki Schirmer, Mel R Mylek, Theo Niyonsenga, Douglas Paton, Petra Buergelt and Kimberly Brown
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(9), 1341; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091341 - 27 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1177
Abstract
While social resources are known to promote positive psychological outcomes after disasters, little is known about the unique influence of different social resources on distress and coping during a disaster. This study examined the association between five social resources: sense of belonging, bushfire [...] Read more.
While social resources are known to promote positive psychological outcomes after disasters, little is known about the unique influence of different social resources on distress and coping during a disaster. This study examined the association between five social resources: sense of belonging, bushfire reciprocal support, emotional support, practical support and loneliness, and two psychological outcomes, distress and coping self-efficacy, during Australia’s 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires. Survey data collected from 2611 bushfire-affected Australians in late 2020 was analysed using regression modelling. Higher perceived emotional and practical support and lower levels of loneliness predicted increased coping self-efficacy, and higher sense of belonging and lower loneliness predicted reduced distress. However, higher emotional and reciprocal support predicted higher distress after accounting for coping self-efficacy. The findings suggest having higher access to some social resources may not directly reduce distress but may reduce distress indirectly through increasing coping self-efficacy. While access to social resources, particularly bonding social capital, is likely important for supporting psychological response during disasters, the findings suggest this may be dependent on the perceived quantity, quality and expectations of these social resources. The findings indicate that different social resources interact with disaster-related psychological outcomes in distinct, complex and sometimes non-linear ways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Well-Being and Stress Related to Environmental Disaster and Climate Change)
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18 pages, 1057 KB  
Article
Participant Experiences with Human Biomonitoring in Communities Affected by Chronic PFAS Environmental Contamination in the Veneto Region (Italy)
by Marialuisa Menegatto, Andrea Bobbio, Gloria Freschi, Francesca Celeste Conti, Maria Cristina Cola, Michela Zamboni and Adriano Zamperini
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(8), 1190; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081190 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 508
Abstract
This exploratory study investigated how health concerns related to chronic environmental contamination and how satisfaction with the human biomonitoring (HBM) process influence the perceived quality of life in the context of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in the Veneto Region (Italy). We [...] Read more.
This exploratory study investigated how health concerns related to chronic environmental contamination and how satisfaction with the human biomonitoring (HBM) process influence the perceived quality of life in the context of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in the Veneto Region (Italy). We administered a questionnaire to 84 residents of the Red Area, where PFAS exposure is classified as most severe. The main findings revealed that satisfaction with HBM was positively correlated with perceived quality of life and showed a statistically significant but modest moderation effect on the relationship between PFAS-related health concerns and quality of life (explaining 17.4% of the variance). Particularly, it attenuates the negative effect that PFAS health concerns have on quality of life. Differences between subgroups revealed heightened concern regarding PFAS health risks among women vs. men and participants with children vs. those without. These results underscore the central role of relational and communication aspects of HBM programs to mitigate psychological distress and possibly contribute to higher perceived well-being. The study highlights the need for tailored public health interventions, including transparent communication, empathetic support, and community engagement, to address the psychosocial dimensions of environmental contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Well-Being and Stress Related to Environmental Disaster and Climate Change)
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